Digital tuners allow users to easily tune stringed instruments, such as guitars. In particular, the digital tuner can provide an easy to understand display, which allows the user to quickly determine the note being played, and tune the stringed instrument so that the note produced is the note intended by the user.
However, these digital tuners suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, they must be close to the stringed instrument in order to produce an accurate reading. If it is not sufficiently close, then the digital tuner will be unable to measure the note properly and tuning the stringed instrument will become difficult or impossible. However, this means that the user is either holding the tuner or balancing it closely to the stringed instrument. Neither is desirable because neither replicates normal play positions by the user.
Some users clip the digital tuner to the headstock on the stringed instrument to ensure proximity. However, this is often a temporary solution at best, as the clip must be removed before transport or before storage on a wall-mount or a rack, or in a case. In addition, the clip and tuner are visible to the audience so it is not aesthetically pleasing to leave on during a performance. Further, the clip can ruin the finish of the stringed instrument while being used, placed or removed.
Accordingly, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,240,170 a system is described that can attach a digital tuner to an instrument at locations other than the headstock. U.S. Pat. No. 9,240,170 describes a stringed instrument mountable device that includes a vibration-sensing device configured to detect a note being played on a stringed instrument. The stringed instrument mountable device also includes an attachment configured to attach the vibration-sensing device to the stringed instrument.
However, as is clear from the figures of U.S. Pat. No. 9,240,170, the tuner must be positioned on the side of the instrument facing away from the user; otherwise, it interferes with the user, and thus is actually visible to viewers. Moreover, there are advantages of engaging a tuner to a headstock that are lost when attaching the tuner elsewhere, such as visibility of the display while playing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel tuners that can be directly engaged with a musical instrument, including on the headstock, yet are inconspicuous and/or invisible, in particular when the instruments are used during a performance;
Another object is to provide tuners that allow abrupt movements of the musical instruments without the tuners falling off the instruments.
Yet another object is to allow the tuners to be detachable, i.e. not affixed to the instrument, yet according to desire, capable of being left on the instrument when the instrument is put away in a case, with minimal or no hindrance and movement of the tuner.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.